Is Nvidia more important for markets than the Federal Reserve?

Nvidia is making waves in the financial markets like it’s nobody’s business. Forget about the Federal Reserve for a second—this chipmaker is the one everyone’s watching. 

When Nvidia announces its earnings, it’s like dropping a bombshell on Wall Street. Investors and analysts hang on to every word, every number, every hint of what’s coming next. Right now, markets are playing it safe, waiting for Nvidia’s second-quarter earnings. 

Futures for the SP 500 and Nasdaq Composite barely moved, and over in Europe, the Stoxx 600 inched up 0.5%. Why all this tension? Because Nvidia has gotten so big, so fast, its financial health is now seen as a key indicator for the entire tech sector—and maybe even the stock markets.

Why Nvidia is so important

The hype is because the company’s stock has rocketed 160% this year. And a big chunk of this surge is thanks to the massive spending on artificial intelligence. Nvidia’s chips are in high demand, driving the company’s market cap up to about $3.18 trillion. 

To put that in perspective, Nvidia now makes up about 6% of the SP 500 and has contributed to more than a quarter of the index’s gains this year.

The company has the kind of influence that can jolt markets, like when a surprise inflation number or a jobs report does the rounds. Need proof? After Nvidia reported earnings in February, the SP 500 shot up 2.1% the next day. 

That was its second-best daily performance of the year. Ahead of Nvidia’s earnings report, Bitcoin has tumbled a bit, with over $1 billion worth of Bitcoin getting sold off. This sell-off drove the price down below $60,000. 

Analysts blamed this on poor liquidity conditions and some technical maneuvering rather than any fundamental changes. Kelly Greer from Galaxy Digital pointed out that the Bitcoin sell-off was mainly technical. 

She said it wasn’t just about the fundamentals but also the market mechanics. Nvidia’s looming earnings report triggered some uncertainty, making traders nervous.